Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale and Equity Securities

No definition available.

Name:	dxcm_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleandEquitySecurities
Namespace Prefix:	dxcm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale and Equity Securities, Unrealized Gain

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dxcm_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleandEquitySecuritiesUnrealizedGain
Namespace Prefix:	dxcm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Securities, Available-For-Sale and Equity Securities, Unrealized Loss

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dxcm_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleandEquitySecuritiesUnrealizedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	dxcm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Securities, Available-for-sale and Equity Securities, Amortized Cost

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dxcm_DebtSecuritiesAvailableforsaleandEquitySecuritiesAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	dxcm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before tax, of unrealized gain in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedGainBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before tax, of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118942338&loc=SL82898722-210454

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118942338&loc=SL82898722-210454

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118954083&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939692&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unrealized and realized gain (loss) on investment in debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(9)(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116634182&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(7)(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116634182&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtAndEquitySecuritiesGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtAndEquitySecuritiesGainLossAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99377092&loc=SL75136599-209740

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNi
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Cost of investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI). Excludes equity method investment and investment in equity security without readily determinable fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNiCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNiGainLossAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrealized gain on investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 321
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116654751&loc=SL75117546-209714

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNiUnrealizedGain
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrealized loss on investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesFvNiUnrealizedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_USGovernmentCorporationsAndAgenciesSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CorporateDebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=dxcm_TandemDiabetesCareIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Balance Sheet Details - Short Term Marketable Securities, Available for Sale (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt securities, available for sale:
Amortized Cost	$ 667.8		$ 667.8		$ 210.7
Gross Unrealized Gains	0.5		0.5		0.0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0.0		0.0		(0.1)
Estimated Market Value	668.3		668.3		210.6
Total marketable securities
Cost or Amortized Cost					212.7
Gross Unrealized Gains					36.0
Gross Unrealized Losses					(0.1)
Estimated Market Value	668.3		668.3		248.6
Equity Securities Net Gain
Net gains recognized during the period on equity securities	0.0	$ 42.7	(4.2)	$ 50.1
U.S. government agencies
Debt securities, available for sale:
Amortized Cost	531.2		531.2		173.2
Gross Unrealized Gains	0.4		0.4		0.0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0.0		0.0		(0.1)
Estimated Market Value	531.6		531.6		173.1
Commercial paper
Debt securities, available for sale:
Amortized Cost	98.8		98.8		36.2
Gross Unrealized Gains	0.1		0.1		0.0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0.0		0.0		0.0
Estimated Market Value	98.9		98.9		36.2
Corporate debt
Debt securities, available for sale:
Amortized Cost	37.8		37.8		1.3
Gross Unrealized Gains	0.0		0.0		0.0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0.0		0.0		0.0
Estimated Market Value	$ 37.8		$ 37.8		1.3
Equity investment in Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc
Equity investment in Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.
Cost or Amortized Cost					2.0
Gross Unrealized Gains					36.0
Gross Unrealized Losses					0.0
Estimated Market Value					$ 38.0